Qualifier Australasia

“What an awesome year this going to be for Australian and New Zealand Carp anglers. The World Carp Classic Qualifier Australasia event is unlike any other carp angling competition ever held in Australia. For the first time in history will we have teams form across Australia and New Zealand compete for the honour to fish in the world’s largest and most elite carp fishing competition. What makes the 2018 competition even more special is the fact that it is also the 20th Anniversary, meaning it will be even bigger, better and more festive than ever before. For many, this truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

The Venue:

The Australasia Qualifier will take place on the beautiful banks of Yass dam in New South Wales. It is approximately 350km west of Sydney and 40km north of Australia’s capital, Canberra. The stunning natural surroundings, exciting atmosphere and the competition itself will undoubtedly create fond memories which will last us a lifetime! The venue is situated on a farm with lots of bank space which offer all competitors a fair and equal opportunity to do well. It is not a very well-known venue and not having much to go on will require anglers to be at the top of their game if they wish to qualify for the finals in France. The anglers are super exited and cannot wait for the competition to start!

Competition Format:

Teams consisting of two anglers will over a period of 48 hours compete to secure their spot at the final event in France. The competition placings will be determined by the cumulative weight of the 3 biggest carp caught per team, with the team having the combined greatest weight being declared the winners. The same formula will be used to determine the other placing and associated prizes.

Teams going to France will be made up of 2 or preferably 3 anglers per team. The Australasia region was allocated three spots which will be made up of one Australian team, one New Zealand team and a third from one of the two countries. We may therefor end up with either two Australian teams and one New Zealand or Two New Zealand and one Australian team. These anglers will represent our respective countries and even though it won’t be in an official capacity, will the Australian and New Zealand flags fly high and proud for the world to see and we will cheer them on all the way!”

Carp fishing in Australia:

Australia is blessed with an abundance of Carp, maybe a couple of million too many. This and decades of substantial misinformation have unfortunately earned Carp the status of pest species. It does present us with a unique set of challenges but we are working hard to change this situation to one where the specie’s social and economic potential is realised and appreciated. Showcasing the sport and hosting a successful competition is therefore of the utmost importance and we are extremely grateful to the people and sponsors who have accepted our invitation by showing their willingness to support our competition and by doing so also help us change the hearts and minds of the Australian public and those who hold public office. It is therefore not only a pleasure but also very important that we thank the following businesses, Hookit & Bookit, FishingSA magazine, Bank Angler Australia and Fishing Arena for supporting the competition as well as Jochym Marine and Mango Travel for their support of the New Zealand team going to France. A very special thanks must also go out to Mark York for the selfless contribution he has made, what an outstanding individual.